It was time to bid farewell to the amazing city of Istanbul, but I knew I'd be returning at the end of my trip. For now, I was excited to be heading to Cappadocia. Actually, Cappadocia is a region in central Anatolia, and we were flying to the city of Kayseri, the historical capital of Cappadocia in ancient times. About 4000 years ago, it served as a major trading post between the Hittites and the Assyrians. Today, it is one of Cappadocia’s larger cities.
Not long after we left the tiny Kayseri airport, I began to see why tourists flock to the region. From the windows of our bus, I could see Cappadocia's unique landscape. Multiple eruptions from the region's four large volcanoes and subsequent erosion by wind and water have created strangely shaped rock formations that are sometimes called fairy chimneys.
Because of the volcanic eruptions, the soil in the region is very fertile. The main crops are grains (wheat and barley), beans (lentils and chickpeas), sugar beets, fruit (apricots, grapes, and figs), nuts (hazelnuts and pistachios), olives, potatoes, and pumpkins (for their seeds). According to Ulaş, Turkey is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of apricots and figs.
Many tourists come to Cappadocia to visit the underground cities, some of which date back to Hittite times, 3000-4000 years ago. They were originally used by people seeking refuge from frequent raids and ongoing warfare in the region. The largest underground cities could accommodate 30,000 or more residents. Many of these early underground cities were forgotten for centuries.
Later on, in the 1st-3rd centuries, Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans discovered the abandoned cities and took refuge there. And when Arabs attacked Anatolia in the 8th century, Christians hid once again in the existing underground cities and built new ones in the volcanic rock. In some areas, they even built tunnels to connect the different cities.
Our first stop was at the Özkonak underground city, which was built during Byzantine times. It was discovered by a farmer in 1972. After a bracing cup of apple tea, we began our descent.
There was space for animals as well as people. Separate rooms were carved into the rock walls.
Air shafts allowed light and fresh air to enter.
We made our way through tunnels that were so narrow that only one person at a time could pass.
The clay jars were evidence of wine-making.
Heavy millstones, weighing approximately 500 kilograms, were used as doors.
Afterwards, en route to our hotel, we stopped to take photos of the landscape at Göreme National Historical Park.
Our hotel was located in the town of Ürgüp. It was a cave hotel, i.e. it was carved into the rocky hillside. My cave room was quite spacious and beautifully furnished. I enjoyed having a large terrace right outside my door.
The common areas were lovely, too.
It had been a long day, and I was glad we were able to stay at the hotel for an excellent Turkish dinner. Once again, the meze (appetizers) – green beans with tomatoes; eggplant; yogurt with mint; hummus – were my favorite part of the meal. The delicious warm yogurt soup was excellent, too. The chicken was accompanied by a carb triple header: pillowy bread, roasted potatoes, and homemade noodles. Finally, much to my surprise, a gooey brownie-like chocolate cake was served for dessert.
It was certainly chilly when I emerged from my comfy cave room the next morning at 7am. From the main terrace, I looked out across the valley, then went in search of breakfast. The buffet included menemen, a traditional Turkish scrambled egg and tomato dish.
We began the day’s activities with a visit to a family living in one of the fairy chimneys near the town of Uçhisar. Their 3-story home was carved into the rock 3000 years ago. At one time, many people made their homes in the fairy chimneys but most are no longer inhabited.
Adnan and his wife welcomed us into their home, served us tea, and chatted with us, with Ulaş serving as translator. Adnan told us he is the 4th generation of his family to live in the house. We learned that although the government owns both the house and the rugs on the floor, the family does not have to pay rent. Furthermore, the couple will be able to pass the house along to the next generation. Of course, since it is a historic structure, they are not allowed to make any changes.
Adnan works as a construction manager and his wife earns money by weaving rugs and selling her handmade crocheted and beaded items in the market. They declared that they much prefer living here, despite the relative isolation of their home, to a more conventional dwelling in the town.
From there, we drove to a short distance to a valley beneath a castle fortress perched on a rock spur outside the town of Uçhisar. People often come here to hike to the castle.
Then it was back on the bus for a quick ride to Pigeon Valley, located between Uçhisar and Göreme. Pigeons roost in the manmade holes of the valley’s rock walls. In earlier times, pigeons were used for food and their guano was used as fertilizer. Nowadays, the valley is a popular tourist spot, offering great scenic views and ample opportunities for hiking – and for shopping, if you’re in need of an eye of Medusa.
It was late morning when we arrived at a government-sponsored carpet and kilim weaving center. It’s a cooperative that trains local women in the traditional art of rug weaving. Once the women have completed the 7-month long course, they can work either at the center or at home. They are paid monthly according to the number of knots they finish.
Only natural fibers - wool, cotton, and silk – are used. Silk is the most elastic, and the most expensive. After learning about the process of spinning silk thread, watching women at work on their looms, and admiring countless gorgeous rugs (while sipping Turkish coffee), I ended up buying a small piece to hang on the wall when I move into my new home next year.
Shopping always makes me hungry. Fortunately, our next stop was for lunch in nearby Avanos, a town known since Hittite times for its pottery. The reddish clay comes from the nearby Red River.
At the restaurant, Ulaş recommended an Anatolian specialty called testi kebab. Testi means “jug” in Turkish, and the dish consists of meat (lamb, beef, or chicken) and vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes) placed in a clay pot or jug and sealed with bread dough before it is placed in a tandoor or clay oven, where it simmers for hours. When it was served, the waiter brought the jugs to the table and used a scary looking knife to open the seals. This released the steam and a mouthwatering aroma. He then poured the bubbling contents into a clay vessel placed over a charcoal burner. Although it’s called a kebab, testi kebab really is more like a stew.
The dessert was simply amazing, one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. It’s called künefe, and the ingredients are butter, kadaif (finely shredded phyllo) dough, cheese, sugar syrup, and pistachio nuts. The cheese is baked inside the buttery shreds of dough, which is doused with sugar syrup and garnished with pistachio nuts. The combination of crispy, buttery, sweet dough and gooey cheese in the center is absolutely irresistible.
By the time lunch was over, I was in a food coma. I had a short nap on the bus before we reached our next destination, the Göreme Open Air Museum, where I walked off some of the calories I’d consumed at lunchtime. Around 1200 BCE, people carved living spaces into the rocks. In the 4th century CE, Christian monks, who were persecuted by the Romans, came to live here and turned some of the living spaces into churches. The colorful frescoes and mosaics which adorn the churches were added in the 10th-12th centuries.
It was late afternoon when we returned to the hotel. Although we’d already had a jam-packed day, our activities weren’t over yet. After a short rest, we headed to a 13th century caravanserai (a roadside inn from the Silk Road era) to see a performance by a group of whirling dervishes. The dancers begin by shedding their long black coats, which represent the world. Underneath, they wear long white garments that represent death – actually, the killing of the ego. As they whirl, they enter a trance-like state. It was totally mesmerizing to watch.
